to extort

Examples

• All

• Criminals called "area boys" returned in force to the streets of Lagos, extorting shopkeepers with threats of violence.

  Academic text (2009)

• During these kidnappings, criminals extort anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars from the migrants.

  Academic text (2012)

• And then they try to extort me for money, right.

  H3 Podcast

• "How much will your dear father extort this time, Tony?"

  Fiction book (1995)

• And so they would extort people on both ends of that tiny little state.

• This is just how the West tries to extort more money from their taxpayers.

  Meet Kevin

• Then Friday it was reported that Trump tried to extort Ukraine into a political probe of Joe Biden and his son.

• Botha would never be able to extort money from me again.

  Skyscraper (2018)

• Oh, for Christ's sake, Karl, these bastards will extort us into bankruptcy if we let them.

  Fiction book (1994)

• The next day, Haghar Tuaregs surrounded the caravan and extorted payment under threat of attack.

  Academic text (2002)

Synonyms

B

to blackmail

vsto extort

139 5.6

To force someone to give money or do something by threatening to tell their secret

is more general and not limited to secret-based threats

C

to coerce

vsto extort

• Offensive

91 6.4

Force someone to do something by threats

emphasizes obtaining something from someone rather than just forcing action

S

to squeeze

vsto extort

79 4.8

To force someone to do something or give you something

focuses on getting things often by direct pressure rather than threats

R

to rack

vsto extort

• NSFW

36 9.4

To get money from people by using threats or force

is the common term for getting something by those methods

W

to wring

vsto extort

24 7.4

Make someone give you something by using pressure or threats

is the standard term for obtaining items through coercion

F

to fleece

vsto extort

• Informal

14 8.5

Charge someone too much money

uses force or threats to get something rather than just overcharging

G

to gouge

vsto extort

• NSFW

8 8.3

To get money unfairly from someone by forcing them to pay too much

focuses on taking by coercion rather than only unfair pricing

Antonyms

D

to donate

457 2.7

Give money, things, or time to help a charity

How Coercive

to extort

44 8.1

blackmail

102 5.2

to coerce

• Offensive

91 6.4

to threaten

987 3.3

to pressure

149 4.2

Surface Forms

Etymology